Matador With Bull Bronze Statue

The lost wax casting method is a labor intensive process which is considered to be the best for capturing the finest details of an artist's original sculpture. Typically, a wax replica of the original is made and then dipped in liquid ceramic in order to create a ceramic mould. Once cured, the ceramic shell is kiln fired and as the shell bakes, the wax inside melts and is lost from the shell (thus the term lost wax). After the ceramic shell is removed from the heat, molten bronze is poured into it to create the final casting.

Once the casting has cooled, the outer ceramic layer is broken away, revealing the bronze sculpture inside. A patina may be applied to obtain the desired colorization. And finally, wax is applied to add protection to the lustrous patina.

There are other techniques and variations of the lost wax casting process, but they all involve the loss of the wax mold implied in the term 'lost wax'.